Even if you're non sure what a blog is, you've no doubt come across i at some point in fourth dimension. Possibly you've stumbled across a blog when yous've searched "healthy dinner recipes".

Alternatively, maybe you used a weblog to go more information on SEO strategies.

In fact, if you're reading this, gauge what? You're on a weblog. (Very meta, I know.)

If your business doesn't have a blog, you lot might want to reconsider — B2B marketers who employ blogs receive 67% more than leads than those who do non, and blogs have been rated the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information.

At its nigh bones, blogs can help you develop an online presence, evidence yourself an good in an industry, and concenter more quality leads to all pages of your site.

If you're contemplating creating a weblog for your business, or simply want to know what one is, keep reading.

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What is a web log?

Showtime, let's go over a brief history -- in 1994, Swarthmore College pupil Justin Hall is credited with the creation of the first blog, Links.net. At the fourth dimension, however, information technology wasn't considered a blog … only a personal homepage.

In 1997, Jorn Barger, blogger for Robot Wisdom, coined the term "web log", which was meant to describe his process for "logging the spider web" as he surfed the internet. The term "blog" was shortened to "blog" in 1999, by programmer Peter Merholz.

In the early stages, a blog was a personal web log or journal in which someone could share information or their opinion on a variety of topics. The information was posted contrary chronologically, and so the most recent mail would appear first.

Nowadays, a web log is a regularly updated website or spider web page, and tin can either exist used for personal apply or to fulfill a business need.

For instance, HubSpot blogs about diverse topics concerning marketing, sales, and service because HubSpot sells products related to those three subjects -- and so, more than than probable, the type of readers HubSpot's blog attracts are going to be similar to HubSpot'due south core buyer persona.

Alternatively, a woman named Kiki started a personal travel blog, chosen The Blonde Abroad, to document her travel experiences and provide readers with helpful tips and travel recommendations. Her blog doesn't serve a larger company, but it does help her create a personal brand.

If a personal web log is successful enough, the author can also brand money off of it via sponsorships or advertisements. Take a look at 5 Strategies to Monetize a Blog to learn more than.

What is a web log post?

A blog post is an individual spider web page on your website that dives into a particular sub-topic of your blog.

For instance, let's say you lot commencement a fashion weblog on your retail website. Ane blog post might be titled, "The All-time Fall Shoes for 2019". The postal service ties back to your overall web log topic as a whole (fashion), but it also addresses a very particular sub-topic (fall shoes).

Blog posts allow y'all to rank on search engines for a multifariousness of keywords. In the above case, your blog post could enable your business to rank on Google for "autumn shoes". When someone searches for fall shoes and comes beyond your blog postal service, they have access to the rest of your visitor'due south website. They might click "Products" after they read your post, and take a wait at the vesture items your company sells.

A blog post links dorsum to your overall web log site. For case, right now, you're on blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-a-blog. The "what-is-a-web log" section of the URL is tied dorsum to /marketing/, which is the blog as a whole.

There are plenty of benefits to blogging -- it helps drive traffic to your website, it enables you to amend catechumen that traffic into leads, it allows your business to establish authorisation in an industry, and it continues to assistance your business organisation grow and attract new customers months and even years subsequently publication.

To acquire more than well-nigh the benefits of blogging, check out Why Blog? The Benefits of Blogging for Business and Marketing.

1. To assistance your company rank on search engines.

Typically, a business will use a web log to help the business's website rank on search engines. You can absolutely utilise SEO tactics, or use paid ads, to help your company homepage rank on page one of Google -- but a more effective, long-term solution is blogging.

To consider how your company can rank on search engines via a blog, we'll commencement with an example -- let's say you work for a web design start-up with very fiddling online presence.

You decide to spend the outset year writing and posting regular blog content that strongly relates to web design. Over time, your traffic increases and other companies link to your site for information regarding web design. When this happens, Google recognizes your company equally a legitimate source for spider web design information. Eventually (with a lot of trial and mistake), your weblog posts begin ranking on page one of Google for terms like "web pattern", "website architect", and "e-commerce website".

And then, one mean solar day, you search "web design companies in Ten city" and find your company is now on folio one. This is probable due, in large function, to your consistent blogging efforts.

Take a look at How HubSpot Uses Blogging to Rank #one on Google to learn more about specific strategies y'all can implement to rank on search engines.

two. To share information most a given topic and get an adept in an industry.

In 2006, Boston-native Matt Kepnes quit his job and began traveling the earth. He documented his travels in his now infamous blog, NomadicMatt.com.

After about a twelvemonth, thanks to tireless blogging efforts and SEO strategies that enabled him to rank on Google, he began pulling in $60,000. Matt also created e-books, and used sponsorships and affiliate marketing to make money. Additionally, he wrote a New York Times best-seller, "How to Travel the World on $l a Day."

At present, Matt's blog attracts 1.5 million visitors a month and grosses virtually $750,000 a twelvemonth -- and he's get a well-known practiced in the travel infinite.

If yous want to become known as an skillful in a topic that interests you, from way to blogging to fitness, y'all can -- and, frequently, information technology starts with a blog.

3. To attract visitors to your site, and plough those visitors into leads.

At that place'due south just so much traffic y'all can get from the homepage or About United states page of your company'southward website. Of course, those pages are critical for leads who are already interested in your products -- but they often won't attract traffic from elevation-of-the-funnel. That's where your blog comes into play.

Your weblog can be a full general resource to assist your website visitors even before those visitors are ready to purchase from you. For instance, let's say you sell products for e-commerce stores. Yous might attract some east-commerce owners who are already searching online for your products, but in well-nigh cases, the due east-commerce possessor isn't going to be set to buy right out of the gate.

Alternatively, if you begin blogging most tips to help the retail owner who is just starting out -- like "How to start a retail website", or "Benefits of e-commerce vs. concrete store" -- you'll slowly attract an audition who enjoys your content and finds it useful. So, when those site visitors' eastward-commerce stores begin growing (thanks, in part, to your web log), they'll already know about your make and already trust it every bit a helpful source. That's when they'll check out your product pages.

4. To cultivate an online community and engage with an audition.

At the very least, you might create a blog to engage with an online customs of readers with like interests. Maybe y'all start a food blog and ask readers to share their ain recipes with you lot.

Alternatively, perhaps you start a weblog that focuses on DIY projects. You post the fun, DIY projects you've completed in your own home, and you ask your readers to share their own DIY tips in exchange.

1. Cull your target audience.

When yous're starting your own blog, it's important to think of your target audience. Who are you creating the blog for? And who practise you want reading your blog posts? Earlier you tin can get started, you have to consider the niche you're writing well-nigh and what topics you'll cover and why.

Brainstorming your target audience is similar to creating a heir-apparent persona for your company. Plus, this volition give you an idea on what kind of content yous want to produce.

2. Brainstorm content ideas frequently based on your market segment.

Once you've started a blog, you'll want to churn out loftier-quality, consistent content on a regular basis. This isn't always easy. Creating content is a time-consuming task. Y'all desire to ensure your content is something your readers would be interested in and hopefully can help with your SEO — more on that in a minute.

To begin brainstorming content, consider what your competitors are doing. Await for gaps in their content that you can fulfill. Additionally, yous should also do SEO enquiry to verify that users are searching for and interested in the topic yous want to write about. Tools like SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Answer The Public can help.

You'll desire to brainstorm content often so you lot always have ideas that you can execute.

3. Research and review a content management organisation (CMS).

In order to host your blog, you lot'll most probable use a CMS. A CMS is a tool you can use to pattern, manage, and publish on your website.

Once you've decided to start a blog, figure out if your electric current CMS has all the capabilities of hosting a blog. If not, you'll want to review CMS options that might integrate with your site or wait for an entirely new CMS to drift your site on. There are several options in the CMS world, including HubSpot. (You lot can try out our CMS here.)

four. Create a weblog strategy and editorial calendar.

Just like creating a business organization, you tin't create a blog without a strategy in heed. Your strategy should answer questions similar:

  • Who are you targeting?
  • What type of content will you lot produce?
  • When will y'all post?
  • Where volition you promote your content?

Overall, you should have a mission, vision, and goals for your blog.

Then, create an editorial calendar to keep y'all organized and on track. A calendar will help you track what posts are coming up, ensure writers are coming together deadlines, and assure you have enough content ideas for the foreseeable futurity.

5. Pay attending to article structure.

When you lot're writing your blog posts, it's important to consider the commodity structure. For instance, are y'all using subheads to interruption up the post so it's easy to digest? Are you using bullet points and images that make the postal service easy to scan? These are important factors that will help go on your reader on the page.

Additionally, yous'll desire to make sure that y'all're using calls-to-activeness (CTAs), that will guide the reader on what you want them to do side by side. This is how you can commencement making money and generating leads from your blog.

half dozen. Become an adept in marketing and promoting your web log.

Some other element of blogging is marketing and promoting your blog posts. It'south similar the age-erstwhile adage -- "When a tree falls in the woods and in that location is no one there to hear information technology, does it make a sound?"

Consequently, if you write a weblog postal service but nobody reads it, will it have a positive touch on your visitor or brand? Probably non. That's why you'll have to marketplace your posts. You tin employ social media, SEO, your website, or your email newsletter to accomplish current and potential customers.

seven. Learn about SEO.

Like I mentioned to a higher place, you lot want people to read your blog posts. 1 mode to practise that is to become organic traffic through SEO. If you want your web log to exist successful, learn how to enquiry keywords, how to rank in search engines, and how to build an SEO strategy.

viii. Use a variety of blog mail service styles.

Your blog posts should exist interesting to everyone who reads them, and specially for customers who read every single post. For those that are active followers and ambassadors of your blog, you should use a diverseness of blog post styles so your blog doesn't go stale. Consider using how-to posts, list-based posts, or thought leadership.

9. Repurpose old content.

Producing blog content consistently can be hard. Only y'all don't have to reinvent the wheel every fourth dimension you write a blog post. You can update erstwhile blog posts to keep them accurate and comprehensive. Additionally, you can apply other content of yours, perhaps a YouTube video or a podcast, and repurpose the content into a weblog post.

10. Perform a competitive analysis.

To empathize your audience, run a competitive analysis on your superlative blog competitors. This will help yous identify trends, uncover gaps in the content in your industry, and give y'all ideas on topics and ways to promote your blog.

Running a competitive analysis will assist y'all build and iterate on your own weblog strategy.

With a blog, the heaven's the limit -- and then are the benefits for your business concern. If you're officially ready to get started with your own blog, take a look at How to Create a Successful Blog Strategy: A Step-by-Stride Guide.

Alternatively, if you lot're starting at the beginning and anxious almost your commencement postal service, read How to Write a Weblog Postal service: A Stride-by-Stride Guide [+ Free Blog Post Templates].

Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Jan eight, 2020 5:30:00 PM, updated April 01 2022